Zaigou
by VirgilSOL
Summary: Reposting of an original story written years ago from Love From Vikky. The story of the four years Itachi was in Akatsuki after the massacre but before the main story begins.


Hi everyone. This is not an original story of mine. This is a story from a very long time ago when we had almost no information on Akatsuki and all that stuff. This was abandoned almost 5 years ago if memory serves me right. The story was called Zaigou, it was written by Love From Vikky. If anyone finds it as interesting as I do then I would gladly do a remodeling of the story, Adjusting it to canon and making it a bit more plausible in terms of storyline. If anyone wants to see that just review. If I get enough positive reviews, I'll delete this and post my own version. I will make my version a romance but who's involved in the romance is completely up to the people. The main character will be Itachi.

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><p>Small, dark clouds rolled through the night sky, blotting the stars from view. A chill breeze blew from the North, a sure sign of the approaching winter season. It was an unnaturally still night, the crickets and katydids forsaking their autumn serenades as if in respect for the vile act being committed in their mist. Only one sound broke the stifling stillness of the evening, piercing the air like shattering glass.<p>

"Please, sir, have mercy!" cried the short, bald old man as he knelt on hands and knees at his attacker's feet. "I beseech thee, take what you want and leave me in peace!" The tiny man's voice came short and ragged from the pain already coursing through his veins. His small, beady, tear- filled eyes gazed up at his assailant pleadingly in hopes of reconciliation and pity, but brought him just the opposite. The strange marks surrounding the pupil of the attacker's eyes spun around rapidly, and the pitiful man was flung into a room of torture within himself. With a quick shudder, the victim fell face-forward into the dirt before him, his eyes rolling back in his head and a low gurgle rattling from his throat as his life was snuffed out like a candle.

"Pitiful," scoffed the dark character who stood before the still corpse, his voice low and icy. As if on cue, the cloud that had been drifting before the harvest moon disappeared, allowing ochre light to grace the earth's surface.

A tall teenager, his body encased by a flowing black cloak decorated sparingly with crimson clouds, towered over the silent body of the expired man. Silky, flowing onyx hair, pulled back in a low ponytail and secured by a gold ring, lashed lazily against the boy's back with the breeze. The dark bangs that framed his pallid face could not obscure the glint of his metal forehead protector, the symbol carved upon it being that of the Hidden Leaf Village, a slash through its center as proof of his deflection from the ninja base. Heavily-lashed Sharingan eyes glared out coldly and emotionlessly from beneath thin black brows, furrowed towards his forehead center in disgust and contempt. Twin scars graced his cheeks, following a path down the inside of his cheekbones and surrounding his small, pointed nose. A thin, almost lip-less mouth completed his features, its position currently in a prim, hateful frown.

This was the missing sage ninja, Uchiha Itachi. Wanted for the murder of the Hidden Leaf Village's most elite clan, the Uchiha, among a multitude of other things. The teenager, who looked to be about sixteen years along in his life, stood as a statue would for several moments, his expression of disgusted indifference never wavering.

"Kisame," he suddenly spoke, his frowning mouth opening slightly as the sound escaped his lips. For several silent seconds, the world seemed still. It was as if the boy had spoken to the passing wind, but the crunching of dried leaves announced his companion's arrival.

"Itachi-sama," said the man as he appeared. Pale blue skin and white hair immediately set off his shark-like appearance. Twin sets of gills graced his cheeks, along either side of his wide, straight nose. Red eyes, though unlike the other boy's, glowed from beneath his own forehead protector. The symbol of the Hidden Mist Village, so carefully engraved upon the metal, had been slashed through heartlessly as an act of contempt. A long black cloaked, adorned with crimson clouds as Itachi's, flowed in the breeze. A large sheathed sword donned the man's back.

"What do you want, Kisame?" Itachi hissed acidly to his assigned partner. 'I prefer to shed blood alone, you of all people should know that." The malice in the teenager's voice was unmistakable, and Kisame the shark-man inched back slightly.

"Orochimaru-sama is assembling all members for a very important meeting," Kisame replied, his voice grating and gruff in his throat, like the sound of barnacles being rubbed together. "He would appreciate it greatly if you came for once." Kisame could only widen his beady eyes in fear as, in an ebony blur, Itachi closed the teen-foot gap between them, drawing a kunai to Kisame's neck in the process.

"I did not ask for your cheek, shark man," hissed Itachi threateningly. Though the two partners were at the same skill level, it seemed as if planes of power separated them, Itachi's skills surpassing Kisame's own. The superiority in strength had given the teenager an attitude that could be only matched by a lord or daimyoh.

"Understood, Itachi-sama," Kisame gulped nervously. Itachi silently sheathed his kunai and withdrew from his comrade's jugular. "If Orochimaru wants us all to meet, it must be for a decent reason," Itachi mused aloud. "I suppose we should be making our way to the meeting place."

And with two silent streaks of black, two of the terrorist group known as the Ataktsuki- that supposedly consisted of only eight members- slipped away into the fabric of the night.

Seven sage-nin from various hidden villages sat silently in a forest clearing, none of the legendary warriors making a sound. The anticipation that hung so heavily in the air, though, said more about the mood than anyone would speak aloud. Expectation and anxiety lingered thickly in the shrouded wood, every eye alert for the slightest motion from the large camouflage-patterned tent that had been so carefully erected for this meeting.

"A ha ha, of course," laughed a voice from inside the tent, causing the strain in the seven gathered terrorists to snap suddenly. All eyes turned to the tent flap as it rustled and was pulled aside, revealing a tall, dark figure. The form stepped silently into the mist of the gathered Atatsuki, and bowed its head. "Good evening, fellow sage ninja," greeted the figure solemnly, its voice smooth and seductive. "May someone start a fire? You will need your eyes during this meeting. Almost immediately, a small flame burst from the ground at the figure's feet, yet the person did not even flinch at the sudden heat. "Ah, thank you. Now, I know that you would all rather be out, indulging in your every desire," there was a murmur of assent at this statement, "but I beseech you to hold on a moment longer."

The speaker, now illuminated, would be able to frighten a child to tears just at the mere glance. Sleek black hair feel unabated to the serpentine man's hips. Slanted yellow eyes, pupils shaped like a snake's, graced his gaunt face. A long, pointy nose led down his chalky face to his seemingly lip-less mouth, which was curved up in a freakish grin. If any wise adult looked at him, they would think that this was not truly a human, rather a snake in a man's skin.

"The Akatsuki is a small group, carefully selecting our members. I will not get into a long-winded speech now, so here you go- the bottom line. I have found a person who seems suitable to join." The clearing was silent, and the serpent man in the center merely smiled. "I will bring them out for your inspection." The tall, lean man turned on his heel and disappeared back into his tent, and the sound of brief scuffling and murmurs could be discerned.

It would be a lie to say that every member of the Akatsuki was not curious as to who this new member was. Surely it was just some man who got past Orochimaru by luck, and would die by the current members' hands as they tested him. That was just the way it was- no one had gotten past the test after Itachi.

All thoughts suddenly turned back to the tent as the flap opened once more, and Orochimaru stepped out, someone behind him. From what the Akatsuki could see, the person behind Orochimaru was shorter by almost a foot, eight inches at least. But, then again, nothing else could be discerned until they entered the firelight. And as they did, everyone let out a silent gasp inside themselves.

The person behind Orochimaru was not some tall, dark, intimidating man- it was a kunoichi, a female ninja. Silky hair, a mixture of both deep orange and golden brown, graced her head. Most of the shiny hair was pulled back in two low buns, held by black ribbons. Two thin sections of hair framed her lovely young face. The heart-shape of her face set off her beauty immediately, though her large, slanted jade eyes surrounded by long, thick lashes were just as- if not more- noticeable. Her eyebrows arched up and back down expectantly. A tiny nose and tanned skin complimented her looks as well. Her mouth, unlike most of the others surrounding her, had full, perfect lips that were colored a dark- almost black- brown, giving her the definite look of a foreigner. Her height, despite her exotic beauty, left something to be desired- she was only about five feet tall, five inches.

Her clothing choice flaunted her lean, muscular body as well. Though she looked to be only about fourteen years of age, her body displayed what many adult women would seek. A black tube top covered her moderately-sized bust, and a long-sleeved mesh shirt was flung on over that, its semitransparent fabric exposing her slim waist. Full hips and thin legs were clothes by white capris, and traditional dark blue sandals graced her tiny feet. Two brown leather belts with small silver studs crossed over her hips, and an emerald necklace hung from her neck down between her breasts.

"What is this, a joke Orochimaru-sama?" asked one of the terrorist group members, amusement in his voice. "Look, we know its been a while, but-"

"I'm not here for your personal enjoyment," said the girl in a low, threatening voice, immediately silencing the speaker. Her dark jade eyes flashed brightly for a moment, but then returned to their original color.

"Yes, well, as she has stated, Tora is not here for our pleasure," Orochimaru chuckled. "I have brought her here as a potential Akatsuki member. Would anyone care to test her abilities before we initiate her?" There was silence for a moment.

"I want to challenge her," said one icy voice from the dark. All eyes darted to the speaker- Itachi. The teenager stepped out of the shadows and approached the young girl silently, their eyes never leaving each other's. Itachi stopped exactly one foot away from Tora, and Orochimaru stepped away to the sides of the clearing.

"Feel free to begin whenever you wish, now. Oh yes- and I'd prefer it if you both survived," the serpentine ringleader said calmly.

"I hope you realize what you have gotten yourself into," Itachi whispered, his indifferent expression unwavering.

"I know what I have done," Tora replied, something like sadness in her husky whisper. She stared back at Itachi placidly, cool wisps of golden chakra emanating from her lean form.

"Begin," Orochimaru instructed.

Even before Orochimaru finished saying "begin", Tora had swiftly and wisely retreated from Itachi, her steps as silent and sure as a cat's. Her own strategy of withdrawing saved her from defeat, as Itachi pallid hand shot out from the cover of his cloak as swift as lightning, a kunai extended. The scarred blade would have gouged her abdomen had she been even a millisecond slower. However, by the time the blade had disappeared back into its sheath, Itachi was on the move, darting after the retreating girl.

'Damn it,' Tora thought as she nimbly sprinted from bough to bough of the mighty forest trees. 'Our speeds are matched equally, but my stamina will be my downfall. I can't keep this up much longer. I need a plan... yes, that will work.' The fourteen year old girl deliberately slowed her pace the slightest half step, closing part of the gap between her and her opponent.

Itachi spotted the slight misstep in Tora's path, and used the tiny imperfection to gain distance on her. Slipping ahead silently, his speed now greater than hers by the tiniest bit, he closed the distance between them. However, just as he was launching the barrage of shuriken from between his fingers, Tora disappeared. Itachi, his mask of indifference slipping slightly, halted in his step and, in the space of a second, tried to sense her chakra. The ebony-haired sage cursed the annoying girl- she had clouded her chakra to the point where it was practically nothing.

Suddenly, two feet landed firmly on Itachi's back, sending his stumbling forward. Tora landed from her flight on the spot where he had been standing just a breath before, watching silently as Itachi smoothly regained his footing and faced her, now perching on a branch about seven feet away.

'You thought I fell between branches. That was foolish! I slowed my step so that you could get close enough, then I dropped under the branch and swung myself back up, kicking you!' Tora's firmly-set frown almost slipped into a smirk, but she controlled herself. 'No, this man is too strong for that. I do not want to make him my true enemy.' Not giving Itachi a chance to rush her, Tora turned and dashed away again.

Itachi, frowning in frustration, followed heatedly behind, mentally berating himself for falling for such simple taijutsu. But, yes! Ah, he had her in his sights now. She wasn't going to pull another stunt like that again, not on him! Itachi smirked as a plan came into his head. This Tora, the tiger girl, was it true that kitties couldn't swim...?

Tora grunted in exertion as she ran from her pursuer, her stamina waning dangerously. She had to end this quickly, or she would get caught and killed. Raw, panicked energy coursed through her veins as she nimbly avoided Itachi. But already, in her state of instinctive fear, she had formed a new plan, maybe one that would work better.

Tora leapt from her tree, up into the air. By focusing all of her chakra into the bottoms of her feet, she flew up into the dark night sky night a comet. She went as far as she could afford to- twenty feet in the air. Looking down, she searched for Itachi.

'I will have you this time- my fire jutsus have yet to be beaten.' Tora's emerald eyes widened, letting in any light available so that she could see where her attacker would emerge from the treetops.

Suddenly, in an explosion of brilliant orange leaves, Itachi zoomed up at Tora, his glowing Sharingan eyes whirling around in preparation for mirroring. Tora's eyes widened- his speed was incredible. Her fingers flying nimbly into the animal signs of the zodiac, she attacked.

"Renda no Hi no Jutsu!" Tora and Itachi cried at the same time. Great walls of vivid flames shot forth from both of their hands, zooming towards each other and exploding in a blinding flash upon impact. But Itachi didn't waste time. Not waiting to see the outcome of the attack, he shot up at Tora and grabbed her in a headlock.

"You bastard!" growled Tora as she struggled in his grasp. Her long, black-colored nails shot up and clawed at Itachi's eyes, but the teenage boy used his other free hand to twist her wrists behind her back. Gripping her wrists too tightly, Tora's concentration loosened and her chakra soared from her feet back through her body. Now the only thing keeping her from falling was Itachi's concentration. But suddenly, wind rushed up to meet Tora, and the two fell.

"What the hell are you doing?" growled Tora. 'If he lets me go, I can land safely. If he hangs onto me, we will both die.' Before she got an answer, though, Tora noticed the gap in the tress they had just plummeted through. It all pieced together. 'Wait- a gap in the trees means a break in the ground. A break in the ground means a body of water. A body of water means death!'

Itachi felt Tora squirm in hi grasp and smirked sickly, sensing her sudden fear at the truth. But it was too late for her now.

The two sage ninja plunged into the murky water, Tora's struggling increasing ten fold as she felt the wetness on her skin. But Itachi didn't let go, even as the two sink the bottom of the river.

Tora, the tiger girl, couldn't take it. She let her eyes begin to close.

Itachi let himself and his captive drift back to the water's surface, both of them still- though for two different reasons. With Tora knocked out, Itachi felt no need to rush things- a leisurely pace would be acceptable. The sixteen year old leapt from the water and back onto land, carrying the unconscious girl under one arm, her body partially obscured by his cloak. Suddenly, the limp girl in his arms stirred. Itachi scowled, realizing that this would mean he would have to rush a bit. He frowned and quickened his pace.

"Ah, Itachi-sama, how was the test?" Orochimaru said lightly as Itachi reappeared back at camp. "I hope that you didn't kill her." Itachi flung Tora's limp body into the center of the circle roughly, immediately causing her to wake. With cat-like reflexes, she leapt up and crouched into a fighting stance. But her shoulders sagged as the vivid memories of her encounter with Itachi flooded back into her mind. Despite her loss, though, she straightened her back and stood up straight.

"She did not defeat me," Itachi murmured quietly, and Orochimaru smirked.

"Well, of course not. That was expected." Orochimaru turned away from Itachi and held his arms akimbo as he addressed the rest of the terrorist group. "Gentlemen, it is time for us to choose her punishment for her loss. Any suggestions?"

"I'll take her," said one gruff voice, and several members of the group chuckled evilly. Tora's face of calm confidence did not stir even the slightest bit at the dirty remark. Orochimaru chuckled with the men, slyly slipped around behind Tora.

"Yes, well, such a punishment seems too light for such a great warrior," said the serpent in a seductive voice, standing close behind Tora and placing a light hand on each shoulder and his lips close to her ear. "But maybe we should ask dear Tora what she wants..."

"I foolishly believed that I could be accepted into your group, and I was wrong. I accept my defeat and welcome its consequences," Tora stated emotionlessly.

"Well then, I suppose that I will decide your fate... come into the tent with me now, we will discuss your sentence..." Orochimaru purred, brushing his hand over her stomach. Tora visible stiffened, causing Orochimaru to laugh heartily. Now, now, Tora! We are a group of men-"

"Stop," Itachi commended suddenly, drawing the attention back to him. "She deserves a place in our group." Something in his hateful gaze made Orochimaru unfurl his arm from Tora's midsection and back away cautiously.

"Fine then," Orochimaru said lightly as if he had made the choice on his own. "Tora is welcomed into the Akatsuchi." Tora was left standing there as Orochimaru picked up a folded cloak from a strategically placed spot on the group and began pinning it for Tora, but she stopped him.

"I will treat you with respect, so shall you with me," she hissed, and Orochimaru slipped off to sulk somewhere. Tora fastened the cloak on her own and took a seat off to the side of the clearing, a safe distance away from any lonely ninja men. Unfortunately, Orochimaru still had business to attend to.

"Well then, I believe that our newest member should go on Itachi and Kisame's team, as she will learn a lot from them." There was a slight mutter of dissent, and Orochimaru finished speaking. "Well, before all of you polite men think about forming an intimate relationship with Tora-chan, remember that she put up a decent fight with Itachi, which is more than any of you could quite manage." All was silent after this statement. "Very well then, meeting adjourned. You may all return to your normal activities." Half of the group dashed away into the forest, Orochimaru sauntered into his tent, and the three remaining ninja stood silently for several moments.

"Itachi-sama, we should be going," Kisame murmured to his partner. The younger man nodded, and beckoned to Tora, who silently followed as they disappeared into the night.

The trio of Akatsuchi terrorists journeyed silently until dawn, Kisame and Tora respectfully following their unofficial leader. The clouds that had previously shrouded the starry night sky had long since ventured southward, unveiling the pallid moon and flickering stars. Cold breezes constantly plagued the sage-nin, but they bore the chill in silence. No one spoke, sound was not necessary.

Kisame was the first to speak after six hours of travel, the frigid fingers of dawn long since arisen over the wooded area they traveled.

"Itachi-sama, Tora-sama, perhaps we should rest soon. There is a village near here, we should have no problem obtaining a resting place," the blue-skinned man suggested hopefully. "We could also find sustenance to hold us off until our next raid."

That would be wise, Itachi-sama," Tora added in calmly, her voice cool and controlled. "If we are to be at our best, we should find some form of shelter- and besides, there is a heavy rain storm coming." Itachi halted in his steps and turned to face his two partners, his expression of absolute loathing.

"What a waste of time stopping would be. There is nothing but poor housing in the village. We would be able to survive out here on our own, we don't need shelter. You two are weak," he growled scornfully. He smirked, though, and suddenly disappeared. Kisame let out a startled little growl.

"Shit, I hate it when he does that," he complained gruffly, directing his comment to Tora. "I mean, he will just show back up in the most unexpected-" he continued, turning to face his female companion. He stopped mid-step, his face blanching at what he saw.

Itachi stood behind Tora, his pale arm unveiled from his cloak and snaking up through Tora's. His hand reappeared at the collar, holding a kunai to her throat threateningly. Kisame would have expected Tora to have screamed at this intrusion, but the girl stood tall, still, and expressionless. Her jade eyes did not stir, instead just stared straight ahead in an unreadable expression. Still, Kisame wasn't just shocked at Itachi's aggressive action. No, it was the fact that he had, with his free hand, undone the ribbons holding Tora's hair back in two little buns. Now the fiery waves of hair cascaded down her back like a burning waterfall.

"You did not flinch," Itachi said, amusement in his voice as he gently nicked Tora's flesh with his kunai. A thin trickle of crimson blood dripped silently down the girl's neck, disappearing into the confines of her cloak. "That is interesting," Itachi continued, that cruel smirk appearing on his lips again as he buried the tip of his nose in her hair, sniffing in the fragrances.

"Please refrain from doing that," commanded Tora icily, her tone dripping malice. Itachi's smirk widened as he withdrew his hand from her cloak and his face from her hair, reappearing at the head of the group.

"Very well, we will seek shelter at the next town," he stated flatly, turning his back and leading them onwards again. Kisame and Tora exchanged glances, the shark man's that of confusion whilst Tora's was the same blank stare. Kisame shrugged, and the two followed their leader in silence.

The village they had reached, as Itachi had said, was in a poor state. The houses were patched and shabby-looking, and the few shops that littered the streets seemed dark and barren. Few people walked the streets, though the few who did could not refrain from cringing at the sight of the three foreboding-looking strangers in their midst.

"This house will do," Itachi said, halting in front of a larger building. The walls and roof did not seem in nearly as bad a condition as most others, though there were several broken windows visible from the outside. "There are people here, though- Tora, you can handle it," Itachi instructed flatly, and Tora nodded silently and slipped through one of the shattered windows.

"What did you do with the bodies?" Itachi asked as, after about two minutes, Tora opened the front door and ushered the men in.

"I have use of them yet, so I have put them in my chosen living quarters," Tora explained, ignoring Kisame's confused look. "I have already taken the liberty of exploring the house. The kitchen, master bathroom, and entertainment room are on the main floor. The basement is full of canned supplies. The first floor consists of a bathroom and four bedrooms."

"Very good," Itachi said, and Tora bowed her head slightly and slipped away up to her selected bedroom. Kisame watched her go.

"Sometimes I forget that she's younger then you, Itachi-sama," Kisame murmured. "She plays her part so well."

"Don't let any emotion get in the way, Kisame," Itachi hissed threateningly. "Foolish feelings like love just get in the way."

"Yes, Itachi-sama," Kisame replied carefully. "I believe that I will go and choose my living space as well." Kisame disappeared up the stairs after Tora, leaving Itachi on his own.

"Damn," Itachi hissed to himself, cursing himself for a fleeting thought that had just crossed his mind.

"You can come in," Tora said to seemingly no one as she sat on her designated bed in her designated bedroom. The source of the chakra she had sensed entered, opening the door and closing it behind him silently. Tora need not have glanced up.

"Hello, Tora," Kisame said roughly, sitting down on the bed next to Tora. Tora regarded him with no expression, though her inner working went on immediate alert. For one thing, he hadn't added his respectful "sama" at the end of her name. Also, no one in their right mind would sit next to her on a bed, no one would be that stupid...

"What do you want, Kisame-sama?" asked Tora, slouching forward underneath the confines of her cloak, her eyes staring straight ahead.

"What did you do with the bodies?" Kisame asked, peeking over at her.

"Do you really want to know?" Tora asked, and Kisame nodded stupidly. "I used them to feed my tigers."

"Your tiger?" Kisame asked.

"Yeah, the tigers I can summon when fighting. I like to treat them every now and then." Kisame cringed. "But I know that you didn't come up here just to ask what I did with the bodies, am I correct?"

"You are correct, Tora," Kisame said with a smirk. He reached an arm out from under his cloak and gently placed his palm on Tora's back, watching as she flinched beneath his touch. She quickly slid away from him, cringing on the opposite side of the bed.

"Leave me be," Tora whispered, disgust and sorrow hanging in her words. Kisame smirked. "I have nothing you desire."

"Ah, but a man is a man... why do you cringe when someone touches you?" Kisame asked.

"That is none of your concern," Tora hissed angrily. "Get away from me."

"But Tora-chan," said Kisame smoothly, moving as swiftly and perfectly as water towards Tora. "You are too perfect to be sad... you need to be appreciated..." Kisame grabbed her fist as it swung towards him, crushing her hand in his. Tora growled angrily and swung her other fist at him, but he grabbed that as well. He smirked at her rage.

"Let me go," she growled at him, struggling with her hands.

"No, Tora-chan. Maybe it's time you learned when to give up," Kisame taunted, shoving himself over Tora, knocking her backwards on the bed and forcing his mouth down onto her neck, nibbling her tan skin.

"You dirty bastard," hissed Tora as her cut from before reopened. "You're are going to pay for this." As Kisame slid his mouth downwards towards her collarbone, his cloak covering them both in a dark veil, Tora struck.

"Arrrggghhh!" Kisame cried as Tora's teeth sank into the skin of his cheek, her two sharpest teeth puncturing the veins. With a twist of her head, the girl tore a four-inch strip of blue flesh from her attacker's features. He relinquished control of her wrists, reeling back with his hands covering his face. "You little bitch!" he yelled, drawing his sword from his back, revealing his bloodied face. He swung downwards towards Tora's head, the massive blade threatening to cut her in half.

"You asked for it," Tora smirked, leaping backwards just as the sword slashed through the bed. Before the Kisame could react, she leapt up onto the blade and ran up its length, launching herself feet-first into Kisame. Her attack struck true, both soled of her shoes landing directly onto his chest. The shark man fell backwards, dropping his sword. He looked up at Tora, who immediately shoved her foot into his face and breaking his nose. She lightly stepped over the unconscious assailant and out of the room.

"Well, that was expected," Itachi said with a smirk, listening to the whole incident from downstairs.

Itachi sat in the kitchen, silently eating cold chicken that had been found in the refrigerator. He placidly watched as Tora bustled around the cooking area, frying fish and mixing spices and all around multitasking as she made a- though Itachi wouldn't admit it aloud- savory smelling meal. The vicious curiosity pulled at Itachi's mind as the girl silently simmered the rice and diced the carrots.

"In God's name, what are you making?" growled Itachi, not bothering to hide his annoyance and anger. The smell of cooking reminded him of his mother, and that was someone he hated to the point of insanity. Tora didn't even face him as she answered.

"Tiger's secret spiced fish with vegetables- with a special sauce passed through my clan, I have to add- over white rice and teriyaki chicken. It is my favorite recipe, Itachi-sama, though I am sure that you do not need my personal view." Tora replied calmly as she expertly transferring a thick golden sauce from a pan into a small bowl. "Does that answer your question sufficiently?"

"Hrm," Itachi mumbled, slouching forward in his chair as if in shame at the pitiful meal he had salvaged.

"There is no need to feel any way embarrassed, Itachi-sama. I have prepared enough for you as well," Tora added politely, a slight hint of a positive emotion like happiness creeping into her voice. Suddenly, she flung her hand from the stirring ladle up in front of her face, grasping the blade of the kunai that had threatened to slay her. Itachi stood close behind her, murderously holding the kunai.

"I am embarrassed of nothing," he hissed in Tora's ear, his other hand cruelly grasping her thick fiery braid that cascaded down her back. "Do you understand that?"

"Of course, Itachi-sama. I understand completely, and I apologize for my foolish assumptions," Tora replied without batting an eyelid at the attack. The two stood there for several moments, Itachi daring Tora to plead for freedom, Tora patiently allowing his actions. Tora, after the uncomfortable minutes, squirmed suddenly. Itachi smirked.

"Afraid, Tora-chan?" he hissed viciously.

"No, Itachi-sama. I need to reach the rice pan, the grains need to be stirred," the girl replied calmly, groping towards the pan handle. "The food will burn." Itachi growled savagely and pulled the kunai back, and Tora lowered er hand foolishly. The blade swung back up and, for the third time in two days, her cut was gouged open. Itachi did not relinquish hold on her hair, and pulled her head savagely back as he whispered in her ear.

"As long as you have that gash, little Tora, know that I am the stronger between us and that I own you," The dark boy whispered evilly, freeing her hair from his hand and withdrawing back to his chair. Tora, wiping the blood from her wound away gingerly, stirred the rice and went back with her cooking, a heavy silence between them. Both ignored the familiar chakra as it neared the kitchen.

"What's that smell?" asked Kisame has he entered the kitchen area, but stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Tora standing over the pots and pans. The left side of his face looked like a giant, heinous blister where Tora had ripped his flesh apart. "Oh, it is you," he growled. Tora did not even turn her head.

"Would you like some dinner, Kisame-sama?" asked Tora as she pulled some plates from a cabinet. "I made plenty."

"No," grumbled Kisame, turning on his heel. "I'll be upstairs." Tora watched him go, the pulled three plates, three bowls, and three sets of wooden chopsticks from the cupboards, carefully piling succulent food on each in three equal portions. She carefully placed a bowl on each plate, and carried two sets of food over to the wooden table. Carefully, she placed one order of food before Itachi, breaking the wooden chopsticks herself as she did.

"Here is your dinner, Itachi-sama," she said respectfully, bowing her head as she placed the other plate across the table, as far from Itachi as the wooden furniture would allow. Itachi looked over at the counter, where a platter of steaming food waited to be eaten.

"I thought Kisame wasn't eating," he murmured.

"He will be hungry soon enough," Tora replied simply as she lifted the plate onto her arm and started out of the room. "He will need strength to heal that gash on his face, Itachi-sama." Carefully, Tora left the kitchen and climbed the stairs, stopping outside of a closed door across the hall from her room. She knocked three times, then gently et the plate of food down at the base of the closed oak door and went back downstairs.

Kisame senses that whomever had been at his door had left so he opened the door a crack and looked out moodily. No one was there, good. But that damned smell from dinner was killing him! That damned girl had made the smell waft up here, tempting him to go downstairs. But no, he wouldn't fall for-

Itachi looked down at the platter of perfect food and unbroken chopsticks at his feet. Greedily and sneakily, he snatched the food away.

Damn that girl, pretending to be nice after what she did and trying to be his friend...

Tora finished washing the dishes and went up to her room, grabbing the money purse from the dresser as she went. She walked back down the stairs and into the living room, where Itachi sat calmly on the couch. The girl bowed respectfully before she spoke.

"Itachi-sama, I am going into town," she stated calmly, not blinking or stepping back as his crimson Sharingan eyes darted to her.

"Why are you going there?" he asked acidly, not stirring from his position.

"I am going to pick up some personal items, after which I am going to train by the river that lies to the west, Itachi-sama," Tora replied politely. When Itachi did not reply, she turned with a swish of her cloak and disappeared out of the house.

The town-square was in a pitiful state. The fronts of stores were covered in faded posters and ripped banners, the painted signs long since faded away into nothingness. Few villagers wandered the streets, but Tora managed to get directions to the nearest convenience store.

The store itself was in better condition than it seemed from the outside, but Tora still had trouble with the whole filthiness of it. Wherever she turned, she caught people whispering or staring at her. After she retrieved a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, she waltzed silently up to the checkout, startling the woman behind the counter, who was gossiping with her friend- about Tora.

"She arrived with two shady men." one of them whispered urgently.

"They all had the same outfit! One even dared to carry a large sword!" the other stated. "I've heard from one of my clients that she's seen that girl lingering on street corners at night!"

"Actually, miss, I am as foreign to this village as you are to me," Tora chimed in brightly, startling the women out of their wits. The clerk smiled embarrassingly as she took Tora's money and bagged her items.

After the incident at the store, Tora decided to lay low. Stealthily, she climbed the side of the building and leapt from roof to roof until she was far in the outskirts of the village. Only then did she leap down and walk to the bubbling stream that lay to the west.

The stream was small but four feet deep at the center, the crystalline water clean and warm. The plant life around the water faded away into a small, sandy beach at the river's banks before disappearing beneath the cleansing liquid.

"They named this place adequately," Tora said to herself. "Mizumimi works well with it, for it is like whatever secrets you may whisper into the water flow away downstream, as if it was taking the secrets away to safety." With those words, she shed her cloak and folded it carefully, placing it neatly in the crotch of a tree. Tora smiled as she carefully leaned down over the water, moving her lips in a whisper so quiet that only the water could hear her.

After her moment of silence, Tora quickly leapt up and drew eight kunai, holding one blade between each finger. Focusing her chakra to the soles of her feet, she climbed to the highest branch of a tree and perched there, kicking off her shoes and watching as they fell twenty, thirty, forty feet to the ground below. Using her toes, she pulled one of her leather belts loose and- with almost unbelievable skill- wrapped it over her eyes and hitched it in the back. Focusing her chakra again, Tora swung herself onto the underside of the branch so that she was standing upside down.

"Precision training- method thirty six under Tatsugatsu-sensei! Kamikaze kunai!" cried Tora as she threw all eight kunai at once. She swung herself back up onto the top of the branch and lifted the belt from her eyes.

All eight kunai had hit the same twig, slicing it to shreds.

"Three hundred repetitions!" cried Tora, launching herself down the tree to retrieve her kunai.

After three hours of intense precision training, Tora ended her exercises and crouched by the stream. She silently pulled her black shirt over her head and folded it carefully, along with her pants and undergarments. Shaking her hair free of its tight braid, she slipped into the pristine water. Taking a deep breath, she quickly dipped herself under, but only for a half-second.

"I hate being underwater," Tora mumbled to herself as she reached for her shampoo, lathering the gooey substance and spreading it in her hair. With a deep sigh, she sunk backwards to that her hair could rinse, and then spattered the thick conditioner in it. As any girl would know, you leave the conditioner in for about five minutes. So, in that time, Tora used some of the remaining shampoo to cleanse her body.

As soon as she finished her bath, she stepped out of the water to retrieve her clothes, hoping that her cloak would hide her wetness. There was no need for Itachi or Kisame to know what she had done.

"What?" muttered Tora in disbelief. A white towel perched folded on her clothes, a single fox-like paw print on it.


End file.
